10 Songs That Shaped Pop Culture In The 2010s

By Julia Lennox. 18 Dec 2019 2:07 PM

As the dawn of a new decade draws near, we’re taking a look back at the songs that shaped pop culture during the 2010s. From viral hits to a children’s classic, these ten tracks cracked our list.

Universal Music Group/Apple Music

Carly Rae Jepsen/Facebook

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Big Machine Records/Apple Music

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2010: 'Teenage Dream'
Universal Music Group/Apple Music
There's no denying Katy Perry's domination of pop music in 2010. Her album Teenage Dream spawned five consecutive No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100, a world record the 'California Gurl' still holds a decade later.

As for the self-titled sophomore single? Simply put, it's pop perfection. Co-written by some of music's biggest and best producers -- Benny Blanco, Max Martin and the now-disgraced Dr. Luke -- "Teenage Dream" evokes every emotion wrapped within young love. The Grammy-nominated summer jam went platinum a whopping seven times in the United States, and was the impetus for the breakout moment of Darren Criss' career. The "Glee" star's lead vocal on the a cappella version of Perry's track made the cover one of the show's biggest hits.
2011: 'Call Me Maybe'
Carly Rae Jepsen/Facebook
"Call Me Maybe" should be considered a Canadian Heritage Moment at this point. Although some Canucks may have recognized Carly Rae Jepsen from her time on "Canadian Idol", her 2011 smash hit made her a household name internationally.

Co-written and produced by Marianas Trench frontman Josh Ramsey, "Call Me Maybe" proved to be a certified earworm with its catchy lyrics and synthesized strings -- so much so that it caught the attention of then-couple Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. Promoting the single on their respective Twitter accounts and starring in a homemade music video alongside "High School Musical" star Ashley Tisdale helped catapult the track to the top of the charts. The Grammy-nominated song remains the longest-running No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 by a Canadian female, with the premier music publication dubbing its chorus the best of the 21st century back in 2017. While Jepsen hasn't seen comparable chart success since, she has become the critical darling of the pop world -- with albums like E•MO•TION and Dedicated giving the often dismissed genre some serious credibility.
2013: 'Let It Go'
Disney/Facebook
Name another completely inescapable children's classic from this decade. We'll wait. Whether you're a parent with young kids, a Disney connoisseur or just a human being with ears, you're WELL aware of the power of "Let It Go".

The signature selection from the first "Frozen" soundtrack was written by husband-and-wife dream team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, but an incredible vocal by Broadway star Idina Menzel -- a.k.a. Queen Elsa -- took the track to new heights. The Critics' Choice, Grammy and Academy Award-winning empowerment anthem peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 but pushed the animated film's soundtrack to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 -- holding the top spot for 13 non-consecutive weeks. By the end of its first year of release, the compilation had sold over 10 million copies worldwide. In summation: Annoying? A little. Unstoppable? Most definitely.
2014: 'Shake It Off'
Big Machine Records/Apple Music
It's the track that officially launched Taylor Swift into pop superstardom. Serving as the lead single from her fifth studio album 1989, "Shake It Off" marked the beginning of a new era in popular music as Swift promptly became one of the biggest artists on the planet.

Piggybacking off the success of their 2012 collaboration "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", Swift teamed up once again with certified hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback. Lightning struck twice, thanks to the song's joyous, marching band-inspired production and a chorus chock-full of colloquialisms. "Shake It Off" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 50 consecutive weeks, making it the most successful single of her career thus far.
2018: 'In My Feelings'
Universal Music Group/Apple Music
"Kiki, do you love me?" A simple question that set pop culture ablaze. One of Drake's biggest singles from his record-breaking fifth studio album Scorpion sent social media into full investigation mode -- with the goal of unequivocally identifying the mystery woman name-dropped in the chorus. Among the names on the "suspected" list were Kim Kardashian and ET Canada's own Keshia Chanté. Almost makes you forget about that J.Lo reference, eh?

But "In My Feelings" spawned so much more. From a viral dance challenge that took the internet and Hollywood by storm, to providing a massive platform for Miami rap duo City Girls to shine, the New Orleans bounce-flavoured track held onto the top spot on Billboard's Hot 100 for 10 consecutive weeks. Upon its release, it also broke the record for most streams in a single week with over 116 million, which it held for almost a year.
2019: 'Old Town Road'
Sony Music Entertainment/Apple Music
Ah yes, the year of the yee-haw agenda. In 2019, Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus rocked our world with "Old Town Road".

From its humble beginnings as a viral hit on TikTok to its historic reign over the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 consecutive weeks, this crossover juggernaut broke records AND rules. After the song was booted from Billboard's Hot Country Songs, Cyrus stepped up and hopped on the remix -- bringing some certified cowboy cred to the otherwise unknown rapper's music. The diamond-selling single featuring a subtle Nine Inch Nails sample dominated the airwaves, and won an MTV VMA for Song Of The Year. Lil Nas X is currently the most nominated male heading into the 2020 Grammy Awards, with "Old Town Road" picking up nods for Record and Song Of The Year. Who could have predicted that an openly gay black man from Georgia would lead the charge in serving up western spirit to the masses?

10 Songs That Shaped Pop Culture In The 2010s

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